Apparatus for feeding packaging machines with stacks of sheet material

ABSTRACT

The apparatus for feeding packaging machines with stacks of sheet material includes a trolley-like support provided with a vertically arranged rotatable belt having orthogonally connected thereto a plurality of pairs of support walls which define an accommodation seat for respective stacks of material in sheets, and a unit for removing and transferring the stacks which has a head provided with an element for gripping a stack. The head is movable vertically, laterally and horizontally so as to arrange itself at a selected accommodation seat in order to remove a stack therefrom and subsequently move it to a station for feeding the material in sheets to the packaging machine. The pairs of support walls are relatively mutually displaceable along a horizontal axis to thereby support a stack in a closed position and release a stack, or alternatively to receive a stack, in an open position.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates to an apparatus for feeding packagingmachines with stacks of sheet material, in particular cardboard cutoutsfor rigid cigarette packets.

As known, cigarette packaging machines are fed with stacks of cardboardcutouts intended to constitute the outer container of the packets.

The stacks of cardboard cutouts are arranged on a belt conveyor whichadvances with a stepwise motion so as to convey said stacks to meanswhich transfer the individual cardboard cutouts to a processing line ofthe machine.

The stacks of cutouts are currently arranged manually on the inputconveyor of the packaging machine.

The conveyor in turn feeds a tank or hopper which feeds a stripperelement suitable for separating the individual cutouts to be transferredto the machine processing line.

This feeding system is rather complicated and limits the productivity ofthe machine, besides entailing a considerable labor cost.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The aim of the present invention is to solve the above described problemby means of an apparatus which allows to feed packaging machines withstacks of cardboard cutout in a completely automatic manner.

A further object of the present invention is to provide an apparatuswhich is simple in concept, safely reliable in operation and versatilein use.

According to the present invention, an apparatus is provided for feedingpackaging machines with stacks of sheet material, characterized in thatit comprises trolley-like supporting means provided with distributionmeans which have a plurality of supporting means, each of which issuitable for defining a seat for the accommodation of a stack, a unitfor removing and transferring said stacks, provided with a movable head,a grip element for a stack supported by said head, said head beingsuitable for arranging itself at an accommodation seat and forsubsequently moving to a feeding station of said packaging machine.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

Further characteristics and advantages will become apparent from thedetailed description of a preferred embodiment of the invention, shownin the accompanying illustrative, non limitative drawings, wherein:

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of the apparatus for feeding packagingmachines;

FIG. 2 is a perspective view of the trolley-like supporting means;

FIG. 3 is a detailed view of a detail of FIG. 2; and

FIG. 4 is a detailed view of a detail of FIG. 1.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

With particular reference to the above figures, the reference numeral 1generally indicates an apparatus which allows to automatically feedstacks of cardboard cutouts 2 to a hopper 3 which constitutes a stationfor feeding said cutouts to a conventional packaging machine.

The cardboard cutouts 2 have a substantially rectangular shape whichhas, at its ends, respectively a tab 2a and a trapezoidal indent 2b; thecutouts 2 furthermore have appropriate folding and cutting linessuitable for allowing the subsequent packaging operations.

The cutouts 2 are supplied in stacks 4 which, according to what isillustrated in detail in FIG. 2, are arranged in an orderly manner ontrolley like supporting means 5.

The trolley comprises a frame 6 which is mounted on wheels 7 andsupports distribution means advantageously comprising a belt 8.

The belt 8 wraps around a pair of respectively upper and lower rollers 9and 10 which are supported by the frame 6 so as to be horizontallyparallel and co-planar.

The belt 8 is suitable for being actuated by a motor element means 11which is supported by said frame 6.

A plurality of stack supporting means, indicated by 12, is distributedon the belt 8 in parallel rows.

Each supporting means 12 has a pair of opposite walls 13 which aresuitable for defining an accommodation seat 14 for a related stack 4(FIG. 3).

The walls 13 have edges 13a intended to retain the longitudinal ends ofthe cardboard cutouts 2 at the tabs 2a and at the indents 2b.

The walls 13 are supported in an oscillating manner, about axes whichare parallel to the axes of the rollers 9 and 10, by the ends ofrespective arms 15 which are rigidly associated with the belt 8,perpendicular to its surface.

It should be noted that the arms 15 engage an upper region of the walls13, so that the supporting means 12 maintain a stable verticalarrangement during the movement of the belt 8.

In a preferred embodiment, illustrated in FIG. 3, the axis of rotationof each supporting means 12 is constituted by stems 16 fixed to theoutside of the two walls 13.

Each stem 16 is subjected to the action of axial movement means. Saidmeans advantageously comprise a hollow cylinder 18 which is rigidlyassociated with the end of an arm 15, by a piston 17 which is rigidlyassociated with the stem 16 and is slidable within the cylinder 18, andby pneumatic ducts 19 for feeding the cylinder 18 which are suitable forcausing the axial sliding of the piston 17 in both directions.

As a consequence of the above, the stems 16, with the related pistons17, cylinders 18 and pneumatic ducts 19, constitute means for openingand closing the two walls 13 of each accommodation seat 14.

The walls 13 can therefore move laterally and oscillate on the axis ofthe stem 16, as indicated by the arrows A and B in FIG. 3.

The apparatus 1 has a fixed frame means which advantageously comprisestwo pairs of uprights 20 which rise symmetrically along the vertices ofa quadrilateral; the uprights 20 have, at their top, a pair of beams 21which are arranged horizontally parallel.

A unit for removing and transferring the stacks 4, generally indicatedby 22, is horizontally movable on the beams 21.

The removal and transfer unit 22 has a head 23 mounted at the lower endof a vertical beam 24.

The beams 21 slidably support respective sliders 25 which are connectedto one another by a cross-member 26 and can be actuated by means ofactuator elements (not illustrated).

The cross-member 26 slidably supports a sleeve 27 which can be actuatedby an appropriate actuation element (not illustrated); a further sleeve28 is rigidly associated with the sleeve 27 and is perpendicularthereto; the vertical beam 24, which can be actuated by a relatedactuator element (not illustrated), is slidably mounted therein.

The removal head 23 has a grip element means 29 which is substantiallyclamp-shaped and is illustrated in detail in FIG. 4.

The grip element 29 has a sort of fork 30 provided with two tines 30bwhich extend downward with respect to the head 23.

The tines 30b are bent at right angles so as to be insertable under thestack 4 to be removed.

The tines 30b of the fork 30 preferably have, at their end, respectiveoptical empty-space sensors 30a which are intended to provide a signalenabling the insertion of the grip element 29 under the stack 4.

A presser element 31 is suitable for cooperating with the fork 30 and ismounted in an oscillating manner in an upward and substantially medianposition with respect to the tines 30b.

The presser 31 is supported, by virtue of elastic means advantageouslyconstituted by a helical spring 31a, at the end of an arm 32 whichextends radially from a sleeve 33.

The sleeve 33 is rotatable, under the action of an appropriate actuationelement (not illustrated), on a stem 34 which is transverse with respectto the fork 30.

The arm 32 is elastically recalled by a helical spring 35 which is fixedto an upper coupling 36 which is rigidly associated with the head 23 andis suitable for acting against the securing action of the presser 31.

The operation of the described device is as follows.

The stacks 4 of cutouts 2 to be transferred to the packaging machine areinserted by the operator in the accommodation seats 14 defined by therelated supporting means 12 on the trolley 5.

For this purpose, the walls 13 are opened by virtue of actuation means(not illustrated) which act on the pneumatic cylinders 18.

The mutual spacing of the walls 13 allows the insertion of the stack 4.

The walls 13 are then moved back together, again by the pneumaticcylinders 18, so as to secure said stack 4 therebetween.

It is naturally possible to provide the automatic execution of said stepof filling all the accommodation seats 14 of the trolley 5 by means ofappropriately provided devices.

The trolley 5, on which the stacks 4 are arranged in an orderly manner,is inserted at the base of the apparatus 1.

In this position the trolley 5 is arranged below the removal andtransfer unit 22 which is movable on the cross-members 21.

In particular, the removal head 23 is movable along three orthogonalaxes and can therefore be arranged exactly at the first stack 4 to betransferred and subsequently lowered in front of said stack.

The movements of the head 23 are conveniently controlled by anappropriate electronic control unit (not illustrated) of a known andcommercially available type normally used in three-axis measurementmachines.

The fork 30 is caused to advance so as to insert its tines 30b under thestack 4 in the region comprised between the edges 13a.

The lowering of the presser 31 is then actuated, and said presserelastically clamps the stack 4 so as to support the stack during theopening of the walls 13. Said opening, which is controlled by knownenabling means (not illustrated), is performed by means of the pneumaticcylinders 18.

The stack 4, removed by the grip element 29, is raised above the trolley5, as indicated by the broken line 29a (FIG. 1) and then moved in thetransfer direction C, which is parallel to the beams 21, until it isabove the feed hopper 3.

The stack 4 is then lowered and inserted in the hopper 3 and released bythe grip element 29.

It should be noted that during the transfer step the stack 4 is arrangedwith the longer sides of the cutouts 2 horizontally perpendicular to thedirection C.

The hopper 3 is constituted by a plurality of angular profiled elements37 which are arranged vertically according to the vertices of arectangle and are suitable for guiding the stack 4; the profiledelements 37 extend from a frame 38 which supports the stack 4 and isarranged above a per se known stripper element suitable for separatingthe individual cutouts 2 of the stack to be transferred to theprocessing line of the packaging machine.

Removal from the trolley 5 and transfer to the feed hopper 3 of theother stacks 4, arranged within the accommodation seats 14 which belongto a same row, are subsequently performed in a similar manner.

Once the transfer of the entire row of stacks 4 is completed, theadvancement of the belt 8 of the trolley 5 along the lifting direction Dis actuated so as to prepare a further row of stacks 4 in removalposition.

To conclude, the described apparatus allows to feed packaging machineswith stacks of cardboard cutouts in a fully automatic manner. Inparticular, the apparatus transfers one stack at a time, providing ahigh operating speed which is adequate for the operating speed ofconventional packaging machines.

It should be noted that the apparatus allows to directly feed the feedhopper 3 of the packaging machine, with evident advantages, in terms ofconstructive and operative simplicity, with respect to known devices,wherein the feeding involved with such known devices occurs byinterposing conveyor belts.

Conveniently, it is possible to store an appropriate amount of stacks ona fixed ledge 39 from which it is possible to draw during the step ofchanging the emptied trolleys 5 so as to not interrupt the operation ofthe machine. The ledge 39 extends below a beam 21 transversely to thetransfer direction C.

In the practical embodiment of the invention, the materials employed, aswell as the shape and dimensions, may be any according to therequirements.

I claim:
 1. Apparatus for feeding a packaging machine with stacks ofsheet material, comprising a trolley-like support which is provided witha plurality of supporting means for supporting said stacks of sheetmaterial, said trolley-like support being provided with distributionmeans for distributing said plurality of supporting means thereon, eachof said plurality of supporting means defining an accommodation seat foraccommodating an individual one of said stacks of sheet material, saidapparatus further comprising a removal and transfer unit which isprovided with a movable head and a grip element for gripping each ofsaid individual one of said stacks, said grip element being supported bysaid head, said head being arrangeable at a selected said accommodationseat and subsequently movable, after said grip element grips saidindividual one of said stacks, to a feeding station of said packagingmachine, said each of said plurality of supporting means having a pairof opposite walls between which is defined said accommodation seat, saiddistribution means having connected thereto arms which rotatably supportsaid pair of opposite walls, said opposite walls being rotatable about asubstantially horizontal axis, said apparatus further comprising meansfor mutually linearly displacing said pair of opposite walls along adirection of said substantially horizontal axis, thereby said pair ofopposite walls being openable for inserting said individual one of saidstacks into said accommodation seat and alternatively for removing saidindividual one of said stacks from said accommodation seat, andadditionally said pair of opposite walls being closeable about saidindividual one of said stacks for support thereof in said accommodationseat.
 2. Apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said trolley-likesupport comprises a frame and said distribution means comprise a beltwhich wraps around a pair of rollers which are rotatably supported bysaid frame, said pair of rollers being substantially horizontal andmutually parallel in a vertical plane, said belt being suitable forbeing actuated by a motor element, said arms being orthogonallyconnected to said belt.
 3. Apparatus according to claim 1, wherein saidmeans for mutually linearly displacing said pair of opposite wallscomprise, for each one of said pair of opposite walls, a stem which isfixed orthogonally to said each one of said pair of opposite walls, saidstem extending along said direction of said substantially horizontalaxis, said means for mutually linearly displacing said pair of oppositewalls further comprising a piston which is rigidly associated with saidstem, a cylinder for the sliding of said piston rigidly associated withan end of a respective arm, and pneumatic ducts for feeding saidcylinder.
 4. Apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said head of theremoval and transfer unit is mounted at a lower end of a vertical beamwhich is slidable in a first sleeve which is rigidly associated with asecond sleeve which is perpendicular thereto and which is slidable inturn on a cross-member which is supported at its ends by means ofrespective sliders on a pair of horizontal and mutually parallel beams.5. Apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said grip element comprises afork provided with tines which extend downward with respect to saidhead, said tines being bent at right angles to thereby definesubstantially horizontal free ends which are arrangeable under each saidindividual one of said stacks, said grip element further comprising apresser element which cooperates with said fork and which is mounted soas to oscillate in an upward and substantially intermediate positionwith respect to said tines so as to secure in an upward position eachsaid individual one of said stacks.
 6. Apparatus according to claim 1,wherein said feed station is constituted by a hopper which is formed bya frame and a plurality of angular profiled elements which are suitablefor guiding each said individual one of said stacks on the frame. 7.Apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising a fixed ledge forstoring an appropriate quantity of said stack to be drawn from duringthe step a changing said trolley-like support.
 8. Apparatus for feedinga packaging machine with stacks of sheet material, comprising atrolley-like support which is provided with a plurality of supportingmeans for supporting said stacks of sheet material, said trolley-likesupport being provided with distribution means for distributing saidplurality of supporting means thereon, each of said plurality ofsupporting means defining an accommodation seat for accommodating anindividual one of said stacks of sheet material, said apparatus furthercomprising a removal and transfer unit which is provided with means forgripping each of said individual one of said stacks and means fortransferring said stacks to a feeding station of said packaging machine,said each of said plurality of supporting means having a pair ofopposite walls between which is defined said accommodation seat, saidapparatus further comprising means for mutually linearly displacing saidpair of opposite walls along a direction of a substantially horizontalaxis, thereby said pair of opposite walls being openable for insertingsaid individual one of said stacks into said accommodation seat andalternatively for removing said individual one of said stacks from saidaccommodation seat, and additionally said pair of opposite walls beingcloseable about said individual one of said stacks for support thereofin said accommodation seat.
 9. Apparatus according to claim 8, whereinsaid distribution means comprise a belt rotatable about an upper rollerand a lower roller which are supported by said trolley-like support anda plurality of arms which are rigidly connected to said belt, saidplurality of arms extending substantially orthogonally from said beltand oscillably supporting said pair of opposite walls of each of saidplurality of supporting means for supporting said stacks of sheetmaterial, said means for mutually linearly displacing said pair ofopposite walls comprising a pneumatic cylinder connected to an end ofeach of said arms, a piston arranged in said cylinder, and a steminterconnected between said piston and a respective one of said pair ofopposite walls.